Letting Go of Control

“Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu

It is natural for us to want to take control- of the people around us, the way things are, the way things ought to be in the future, everything! That’s just how we are wired as human beings- we feel irked and agitated when reality doesn’t conform with our wishes.

I recently had to wait 45 minutes for a banking service. Even though I would have ideally liked to have gotten by quicker, it wasn’t to be. I’m pretty sure other times I would have been livid at the whole unfolding of circumstances. But this time around I was more accepting of what was transpiring.

The reason? Well, I’ve been thinking- if everyone around me acted, reacted, and went about their lives just like me, what kind of a world would it be like?

Well, a world that characterizes:

*Insert all your flaws here*

Apart from small ounces of positivity, I’m convinced that a world like that would be mostly negative. And would I want to live in a world like that?

We wish for life to be the way we want- people to act like the way we do, feel like we do, and have an outlook on life just like we do. But maybe, it’s for the better that life doesn’t work that way.

If we can see this to be true, everything that doesn’t go as planned or as expected (like the queue at the bank) would then turn into teachers we revere- the ones that promote calmness, patience, acceptance and a loving kindness in the midst of this chaotic world.

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About the author

Satyal is a writer, educator, and podcaster who helps people become more self-aware and compassionate toward themselves and others.
He embraces the values of minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living.